


A True Soldier Follows Orders

by ceciliepaz



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Enterprise, Explosion, F/M, Kinda AU?, Star Trek - Freeform, Star Trek Discovery - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 21:10:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20180770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceciliepaz/pseuds/ceciliepaz
Summary: Christopher Pike story I wrote the other night during a storm. I put AU in the tags because I was unsure whether it qualified or not. This isn’t based off of any canon Star Trek episodes/stories, so more likely a different timeline. Not heavily reader centred at all.





	A True Soldier Follows Orders

The bridge was all but desolate, save for the lone figure who sat in the captain’s chair.   
Sparks erupted from the occasional severed live wires, lighting up the captain’s ash smeared face for all but a second before plunging the bridge back into miserable darkness.   
The crew of the USS Enterprise had long since departed the vessel; fate being what it was, the ship had been doomed to self destruct. It was a necessary precaution that had to be taken, and while the majority of the crew did not agree with the method, they had no authority to question it. Still, try he might; a ghost of a smile graced Christopher Pike’s lips as he recalled his own futile attempts to save the ship. But Pike knew that unfortunately what had to be done had to be done. The ship, as it would seem, would be no use to anybody either way in its current state. For the half of the ship that remained intact, the primary systems were just barely functioning, if one could even say that. The temperature in the bridge was dropping at a slow - but noticeable - pace, and although Christopher was able to breathe normally, he wasn’t willing to wager that he would be able to say the same in an hours time.   
Another wire exploded with half-hearted energy, bringing his attention back to the situation at hand. The destruction.  
He was fortunate enough to have been given time to say his farewell to the ship before sending it to its grave. It was a bittersweet moment for him, as while he knew that after this one push of a button he would be promoted to an Admiral, he was also condemning his own ship to die. Reflecting on this, he wished that he could say that she went out in the midst of a great battle, or at the very least went down fighting. But she merely committed suicide after becoming a cripple.   
He mulled this over, running a palm along his lower face and eventually resting his chin on his knuckles. The flagship of Star fleet, going down a coward and a cripple. This somehow didn’t sit right with him, however he knew better than to refuse orders from his superiors, lest the situation be dire enough to warrant mutiny.   
‘But this situation’, he thought, letting out a breath that he hadn’t realised he’d been holding in, ‘does not qualify for that category’.  
It was at that point that he stood up from the chair, arching his body backwards until he heard the ever relieving crack of his back. Sitting in that chair for what seemed like hours on end could be a real nightmare for one’s physique. He stalked forwards until he was around a metre away from the view screen, hands clasped behind his back. The stars that littered the vast expanse before him never ceased to mesmerise him each and every time he viewed them. It was likely that this would be one of the last times that he would be able to appreciate the full, unadulterated beauty of the galaxy, for being an admiral called for a lot of office work and not much else in between. Christopher clicked his tongue behind his teeth. Being able to go on away missions was one of the main reasons that he had joined star fleet; he revelled in the feeling of a mission well done, especially when he had been partaking in one on the front lines. However, he knew that after what would happen to the Enterprise, nothing would be the same again, no matter whether he kept his rank or progressed to admiral. His crew would be split up and stationed on other ships, and he himself would either become an admiral, or refuse the offer and be re situated on some unknown deep space station.   
At the current time, neither of those options sounded pleasing.   
Pike cast his gaze downwards, rocking on the balls of his heels. He was aware that he should just complete his task and leave, and yet some nagging feeling in the back of his mind compelled him otherwise.

“Chris?” Your voice broke the heavy silence. He hummed in recognition, not casting his eyes away from the ground.  
“Chris, darling, it’s time.” You ventured forward into the bridge, taking care not to step on any potentially live wires. As you stood next to him, he averted his gaze away from his shoes to instead study you. Likewise to him, your uniform was stained with ash and your skin was dotted with small scrapes; loose strands had begun to frame your face as a result of your plait becoming undone. He reached over with calloused hands to undo the rest of the plait, allowing your hair to flow freely over your back and shoulders. Chris’ eyes lingered on your hair before reaching your own eyes. He smiled - a genuine smile - for what felt like the first time in months, before leaning in to gently kiss your lips. Parting, he took hold of your hand and walked over to the control station.   
“I don’t think I can bring myself to do it alone.” He admitted, ashamedly.   
“Hey,” you adjusted your grip on his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. “I’m here.”  
The smile that he adorned was no longer the one filled with warmth, rather it was tinged with sadness and remorse. He guided the hand that was holding your own up to the button, hovering over it without applying pressure. The look he gave you told you all you needed to know, and you lowered your hands.

-Self destruct sequence initiated. Time to destruction, fourteen minutes and fifty nine seconds.-

Piloting a shuttle pod away from the ship, Pike took one last glance at the USS Enterprise. She stood there, tall and proud even though her fate was sealed. A true soldier up until the end.

The orange hue that lit up the shuttle interior told him all he needed to know. The Enterprise had gone down. 

In the midst of everything, a hand found his own. And in that moment, Pike knew that he still had his number one girl.


End file.
